Our Canterbury hygienist team takes a look at the early stages of gum disease

It is often said that, during our lifetime, virtually all of us will suffer from Gum Disease at one time or another. This may well be caused by periods when we neglect our oral health a little, either because we simply choose not to bother so much, or perhaps when we are ill and lacking in energy and motivation to clean our teeth properly.

In most cases, the gum Disease is likely to be reversed when we start to brush and floss correctly again, and, if this hasn’t been a long period, there is every likelihood that we may not even be aware that we have had it at all.

Sometimes though, we might go through longer periods of oral health neglect. This may be due to a lack of understanding on how to keep our teeth clean, or in some cases, almost deliberate neglect such as might be the case with a teenager going through their more rebellious stage. Either way though, once our gums have been neglected for a period of time, some early symptoms of gum disease are likely to be noticed.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is the name for early stage gum disease. The more advanced stage is known as periodontitis and we will come to that a little later on. Although gingivitis is generally less serious than periodontitis, the symptoms should not be ignored and help from Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic should be sought as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration in your oral health.

There are many possible symptoms of gum disease, not all of which may be present. If any of the following occur though, please contact us to make an appointment and don’t let things become worse.

• Sore or painful gums
• Persistent bad breath (ie not caused by something you recently ate)
• Pus between the teeth
• Inflamed gums
• Dark red gums
• Tender gums, especially if causing discomfort when eating

These are just a few of the symptoms that can arise, but it is also quite possible that you will have no symptoms at all and this is why we strongly recommend dental hygienist appointments with us every six months.

Restoring gum health

There are two main ways in which you can help to reverse and manage gum disease during its earlier stage.

Firstly, you should ‘up your game’ when it comes to how you look after your oral health at home. Examples of this might include better and regular brushing, making sure to clean the gums as well as the teeth. In very mild cases, this might be enough to reverse the problem on its own. You should never leave this to chance though and you should also always book an appointment to have your teeth professionally cleaned using a procedure known as a ‘scale and polish’. This is carried out by the dental hygienist at our dental clinic. It is a non-invasive procedure and one that everyone should have if they are serious about having a healthy mouth whether they suspect they may have gum disease or not.

Good quality cleaning then, along with abandoning any harmful habits like smoking and having regular six monthly cleaning sessions with the hygienist, should help you keep a healthy mouth that is less susceptible to problems like gum disease.

A word about periodontitis

We mentioned periodontitis a little earlier. This is the more advanced stage of gum disease that follows gingivitis and is much more serious. It not only attacks the gums but also reaches below the gum line and affects the roots of the teeth and also the bone tissue too. As this happens, it can cause the bone quality to deteriorate and there is every likelihood that teeth will start to become loose and wobbly and may even fall out in some cases.

Treatment is less straightforward at this stage and you may need to have a root scaling. This is quite an invasive treatment that involves cleaning deep below the gum line. It is carried out, with a local anaesthetic, by a suitably qualified specialist dentist. Despite this being the only treatment option available, it is not always successful and teeth may still be lost. The message is clear then; prevention is much better than a cure and the basics of good cleaning and hygienist appointments should be sufficient to ensure any gum problems are kept relatively minor and hopefully avoided completely.

Whether you are currently experiencing any symptoms or not, we recommend that you have a hygienist appointment booked regularly at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic. If you haven’t, you can arrange one by calling us today on 01227 463529 and our friendly team will be pleased to assist.

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